Brittle Star

ID points

• Five slender arms clearly set off from the central disc
• Arms writhe like snakes and it moves quickly
• Arms break off very easily and grow back afterwards

Basics

Family

Ophiuroidea

Length

10–30 cm

Depth

0-300 m

Regions

Indo-Pacific reefs · Caribbean & W. Atlantic

Distribution

Reef rock and soft bottoms in oceans worldwide

Habitat

Under rocks and on soft bottoms

Diet

Detritus and plankton

Easily confused with

FlatheadHead extremely flat and broad, with the eyes on topLizardfishFlat lizard-like head with a very wide mouthSea CucumberSoft cylindrical body, creeping slowly over the sand

Fun fact

Its five long snake-like arms can be shed in an instant to escape a predator, and a lost arm regrows completely. It travels by writhing those arms from side to side.